5. Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Series Run: 1990-1996, 1999-2000 (91 episodes) Veering away from the sitcom style of each of the previous shows, we have the Goosebumps-like Are You Afraid of the Dark? In each episode the thrill-seeking Midnight Society would meet up and tell scary stories around a campfire. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, each week would have its own supernatural bad guy, but over time you could see that certain storytellers would have recurring issues in their spooky tales. More than any other show on this list, you really have to see Are You Afraid of the Dark when you are a kid in order to enjoy it. The episodes aren't as scary in hindsight, it might as well have been called Tales From Beyond the Cribt, and the idea of telling horror stories to your special group of friends had an appeal that made more sense as an adolescent. But it was easily the most fun you could have as a little kid interested in the supernatural. Like Pete & Pete, Are You Afraid of the Dark? had an impressive cast of guest actors to play parts in the horror that unfolded, including Will Friedle, the Scream queen Neve Campbell, Hilary Swank, Gilbert Gottfried, and Bobcat Goldthwait. I'm less afraid of the dark than I used to be, but I still remember the towering impact it made on me the many times I watched the show.
Bryan Hickman
Bryan Hickman is a WhatCulture contributor residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bryan's passions include film, television, basketball, and writing about himself in the third person.
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